tease — to annoy or make fun of someone in a playful way
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to annoy or make fun of someone in a playful way
Pronunciation (IPA): /tiːz/
Example Sentences
- My cat loves to tease the dog by sitting just out of reach.
- The hairstylist will tease your hair to give it more body.
- He's such a tease - he promised to bring cake but showed up with vegetables.
tease
VERB[/tiːz/]
to annoy or make fun of someone in a playful way
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Old English tǣsan, originally referring to the process of combing or carding wool to make it soft and fluffy. The sense of gently pulling and brushing wool fibers was metaphorically extended to describe the act of lightly touching or provoking someone in a playful or annoying manner, leading to the modern meaning of teasing.
Breakdown
tǣsan (to card or comb wool) evolved into the modern 'tease' through semantic shift from the physical action of separating and fluffing fibers to the social action of playfully provoking or annoying someone.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat loves to tease the dog by sitting just out of reach.”
“The hairstylist will tease your hair to give it more body.”
“He's such a tease - he promised to bring cake but showed up with vegetables.”
“Don't tease me about my cooking skills, I'm still learning!”
📚Related Words
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